Health Secretary’s Use of $9,000-An-Hour Military Jet Sparks Scrutiny

The Defense Department has loaned a Gulfstream jet, operated by the Air Force and valued at $9,000 per flight hour, to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for official travel, including a recent appearance at a Republican gathering in Iowa. The White House and HHS legal team have authorized the use, but HHS chief counsel Chris Klomp has expressed concerns about whether the military aircraft is essential, noting that Kennedy has sometimes opted not to use it.

This practice mirrors earlier disputes over senior officials’ private-jet usage, such as former HHS secretary Tom Price, who was dismissed by President Donald Trump over similar expenses. Under Trump’s second term, the administration has taken a more permissive stance toward private-air travel for top officials, exemplified by FBI Director Kash Patel’s frequent jet trips for personal events. Critics argue that such travel depletes resources needed for law-enforcement missions, especially after incidents like the killing of activist Charlie Kirk and the Brown University shooting.